Explore wine and cheese pairings with friends

Wine and cheese pairings are magical!

Wine and cheese parties are a great way to spend time with friends while tasting new and exciting flavours. By mixing, matching and complementing the nuances of the wine you pour to the cheese you serve you can turn the ordinary get together into an extraordinary event. Here is a quick guide on how to pair wine with cheese from Rosehill Wine Cellars.

Hard Cheeses: It’s so Gouda!

Hard cheeses can be categorized as sharp tasting and salty. In addition, hard cheeses are usually aged. Examples include Cheddar, Emmenthaler (“Swiss”), Gouda, Gruyere, Parmesan, Provolone, Pecorino, and Manchego. These cheeses usually pair nicely with a bit of tannin. Therefore, red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Rioja compliment these cheeses nicely.

Hard cheese and grapes on board

Soft and Fresh Cheeses: Spreading the Joy!

Spread soft cheeses over crispy crackers. Light, easy going cheeses such as Ricotta, fresh goat cheese (chèvre in French, cabra in Spanish), Neufchâtel, Champlain, and Boursin pair well with white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc. If you are feeling adventurous you can also pair a bottle of Beaujolais with feta cheese (brined goat and/or sheep cheese). Other soft, creamy cheeses – Brie, Camembert, Triple Crème – pair nicely with Chardonnay and sparkling wines: French Champagne, Spanish Cava, or Italian Prosecco.

Cream cheese spread on cracker

Blue Cheese: Don’t be Blue, there’s Wine!

Blue cheese has a very strong flavour. It’s sharp and tangy and its salty bite  pairs beautifully with sweet wines, including dessert wines. The likes of Italian Gorgonzola, French Roquefort, English Stilton, and Danish Danablu bode well with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Moscato, Vin Santo, Icewine, Port and Sherry. The strong taste of the cheese accentuates the sweetness of the wine and balance the flavours.

Tip 1: If you really want to bring your cheese plate to life add some fruits and nuts!

Tip 2: Peanuts pair perfectly with crisp, sweet, fruity and herbal wines such as Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon or sparkling. The menial snacking of peanuts while drinking beer goes luxe when the brew is subbed in with prosecco or Champagne.

Glass on wine sits on a table next to dish of peanuts